thwart
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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a seat across a boat, especially one used by a rower.
-
a transverse member spreading the gunwales of a canoe or the like.
adjective
-
passing or lying crosswise or across; cross; transverse.
-
perverse; obstinate.
-
adverse; unfavorable.
preposition
verb
-
to oppose successfully or prevent; frustrate
they thwarted the plan
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obsolete to be or move across
noun
adjective
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passing or being situated across
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archaic perverse or stubborn
preposition
Related Words
Thwart, frustrate, baffle imply preventing one, more or less completely, from accomplishing a purpose. Thwart and frustrate apply to purposes, actions, plans, etc., baffle, to the psychological state of the person thwarted. Thwart suggests stopping one by opposing, blocking, or in some way running counter to one's efforts. Frustrate implies rendering all attempts or efforts useless or ineffectual, so that nothing ever comes of them. Baffle suggests causing defeat by confusing, puzzling, or perplexing, so that a situation seems too hard a problem to understand or solve.
Other Word Forms
- thwartedly adverb
- thwarter noun
- unthwarted adjective
- unthwarting adjective
Etymology
Origin of thwart
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English thwert (adverb), from Old Norse thvert “across,” neuter of thverr “transverse”; cognate with Old English thweorh “crooked, cross,” Gothic thwairhs “cross, angry”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While deepfake videos are becoming more sophisticated, so are the tools used to thwart them.
From BBC
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is designed to thwart attempts to overthrow the government and outlast more powerful enemies.
A security source told AFP earlier that "their attempts have been thwarted so far, but they keep trying".
From Barron's
"Their attempts had been thwarted so far, but they keep trying," a security source told AFP.
From Barron's
In October Polish and Romanian authorities said they thwarted a Russian plot to send incendiary packages through a Ukrainian courier service, including devices intended to ignite in Bucharest.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
